ECCENTRIC critic Brian Sewell, notorious for his snooty opinions on contemporary art, has been won over by Manchester art student Chris Boyd.

Chris, one of the 10 finalists in Channel 5's Big Art Challenge now has his eyes on the é10,000 prize.The interactive arts degree student at Manchester Metropolitan University won a rare plaudit from Brian Sewell, one of the judges on the show.

He said the 21-year-old's work had a "spark of genius" and that it had "changed his mind" about video art.

Each week, Sewell and fellow judges, fashion designer Wayne Hemingway and artist Jane Wilson, argue over what constitutes great art as undiscovered artists seek the chance to prove they are the next Tracey Emin or JMW Turner.

Chris entered the competition in July and his innovative and challenging "narrative filmmaking" has seen him beat off hundreds of other professional and amateur entrants to get through regional and semi-final heats at the Lowry and the Baltic Arts Centre, Gateshead.Chris, the only art college student in the final, said: "Brian Sewell has been really supportive and kept me motivated. I was quite blasé when he first praised my work because I didn't know who he was - it was only when I got back to university that I realised he'd made some quite rare remarks.

"My ideas come from my own experiences and observation - I'm quite introverted and do a lot of thinking. I start out storyboarding and sketching out ideas, and then I do test clips to see how my work will turn out in different lights.

"One of the pieces in the show features a pig's head, another represents the womb. My work is influenced by fields as varied as psychoanalysis, sports science and biology.

"I'm confident of winning, but even if I don't it will make a great difference to my career because of the publicity the show has generated."

The Big Art Challenge is screened on Channel 5 on Thursdays at 7.30pm and Sundays at 12.35pm.